Supplementary material 2 – Definitions of outcome
Rutter/Howlin criteria (from Howlin et al., 2004; 2013):
Quantitativ
e score Outcome
category Definition
0-2 Very good A high level of independence: including some friends and a job
3-4 Good In work, but requires some daily living support; some friends/acquaintances
5-7 Fair Some independence, requires support and supervision but does not need residential support. No close friends, but some acquaintances
8-10 Poor Specialist residential support needed or high level of support across domains, no friends outside of residence 11 Very poor High-level hospital care, no friends, no autonomy
Each of the three outcome domains was assessed using the following criteria:
Occupation:
0, employed, or self-employed
1, volunteer work, job training or low-pay scheme
2, supported employment or sheltered employment
3, special centre/no occupation
Friendship:
‘Frequency’ was rated based on number of friends/acquaintances; ‘Quality’ was based on the degree of sharing/mutual participation.
0, one or more close friendships of good quality (mutual sharing of confidences and a range of activities undertaken together)
1, one or more friends but of poorer quality and a restricted range of interests undertaken together
2, no specific friendships, but the individual seeks contact with others in group situations
3, no friends, no joint activities
Independence:
0, living independently
1, semi-sheltered accommodation, or still at home with a high degree of autonomy
2, living with parents, but with limited autonomy
3, residential accommodation with some autonomy
4, specialist autistic or other residential accommodation; little or no autonomy
5, hospital care, or at home (because no alternative accommodation could be found)
Alternative criteria (e.g. Billstedt et al., 2005):
Good: (a) being employed/in higher education/vocational training AND (b) living
independently (if aged 23 years of older OR having two or more friends/a steady relationship (if aged 22 years or younger)
Fair: either (a) OR (b) as outlined above
Restricted: neither (a) NOR (b) as outlined above AND not meeting criteria for a major
psychiatric disorder. This category is for those who meet the poor outcome criteria BUT have been accepted by a peer/social group such that “their handicaps are not so readily obvious”
Poor: “severe handicap”, no independent social progress but some verbal or non-verbal communication skills
Very poor: “very severe handicap”, unable to lead an independent life, no clear verbal or non- verbal communication
